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Tuesday, April 1, 2003

How did the April Fool's Day came about?

In sixteenth-century France, the start of the new year was observed on April first. It was celebrated in much the same way as it is today with parties and dancing into the late hours of the night. Then in 1562, Pope Gregory introduced a new calendar for the Christian world, and the new year fell on January first. There were some people, however, who hadn't heard or didn't believe the change in the date, so they continued to celebrate New Year's Day on April first. Others played tricks on them and called them "April fools." They sent them on a "fool's errand" or tried to make them believe that something false was true. . Most April Fool jokes are in good fun and not meant to harm anyone. One really funny quote about this day is “The first of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year - American humorist Mark Twain”.